When a farmer grows cotton containing the gene for Bt toxin,insects that are resistant (rr)survive and reproduce.These insects were resistant because:

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The most likely explanation is that the insects surviving and reproducing are already resistant because they possess alleles that confer resistance to the Bt toxin. These alleles may have been present at low frequencies in the insect population before the introduction of the Bt cotton. The selective pressure caused by Bt cotton has favored the survival and reproduction of insects with such alleles, leading to an increase in their frequency over time. This process is an example of natural selection acting on genetic variation in a population.

When a Farmer Grows Cotton Containing the Gene for Bt